Everyone was rowdy at Itachi’s lunch table, but at Deidara and Tobi’s table, it was rather quiet. Sasori said nothing when he had sat down and pushed away Deidara and Tobi when they offered to sit beside him. Zetsu, Deidara, and Tobi were told to sit on the other side of the lunch table away from him, or he would make them into his newest puppets.

Tobi and Deidara didn’t understand why Sasori acted so differently today. Zetsu knew well to back off and leave Sasori alone. Once Sasori left to dump his lunch tray, Tobi and Deidara started up a conversation. “Why is Sasori acting differently, Sempai?”

“How should I know? I don’t live with Sasori-no-Danna. I just met him when first grade started, un,” Deidara responded.

“I know what’s wrong with Sasori,” Zetsu’s white half said.

The two turned to Zetsu. “How do you know?” Deidara asked.

“All of us apprentice Akatsuki members besides you and Tobi know why Sasori is acting this way.” Zetsu’s black half cackled as if Deidara was an idiot and oblivious to what was going on.

“So why is Sasori acting differently, Zetsu-san?” Tobi asked.

“It would be better if I tell you the whole story at recess,” Zetsu told the masked boy.

Sasori returned to the table, saying nothing, and laid his head on the table, covering his face with his arms and hands. “Why? Why’d you deceive and betray me my old friend?” Sasori said to himself so quietly no one heard him.

At recess, Zetsu gathered Tobi and Deidara and went up to the large, shaded tree beside the basketball court. Itachi and Kisame were playing against each other and it was clear Kisame was winning, but Itachi was blind to see that. Zetsu sat on one of the tree’s roots and Tobi and Deidara sat on the dry grass. “Okay I’ll tell you the story,” Zetsu explained.

~ ~ ~

“Sasori, check it out!”

“What is it?”

“What do you mean, ‘What is it?’ It’s my pet snake.”

“Oh, I’ve never seen a snake before!”

Sasori was in kindergarten playing with his best friend from preschool. Today was show and tell. Kakuzu brought his newest safe that would obliterate anything or anyone, other than him, that tried to open the safe. Itachi brought Kisame, which really wasn’t a show and tell object of choice. Hidan was at home, due to the fact he had the chicken pox. Sasori wanted to be last because he thought his new puppet wasn’t that good. “All right, Orochimaru, it’s your turn for show and tell,” Konan called.

~ ~ ~

“Wait, un!” Deidara interrupted.

“WHAT?!” Zetsu’s black self snapped.

“Who’s this Orochimaru?”

Sasori sat on the swing and thought about his long-gone-away friend Orochimaru.

~ ~ ~

“This is my snake, Manda,” Orochimaru told the class.

The class was hypnotized by the large purple snake around Orochimaru’s neck and right arm. “He’s 5 yrs old and my first pet,” Orochimaru said staring at Itachi, who wasn’t paying any attention.

“Thank you for introducing us to your snake, Orochimaru,” Konan said, “Now, Sasori, it’s your turn.”

Orochimaru sat down and told his friend “Good luck.”

~ ~ ~

“So, Orochimaru was a fellow Akatsuki apprentice and Danna’s best friend, un?” Deidara questioned.

“Yes, was,” Zetsu said.

“Where’s Orochi-san now?” Tobi wondered, asking Zetsu.

“No one knows. He tried to take Itachi, but Itachi chopped off one of his hands and Orochimaru fled afterwards.”

~ ~ ~

“Man, Orochi, I did awful at show and tell today! I suck!” Sasori whined.

“Don’t say that!” Orochimaru said getting into his friends face, “Your puppets are good. All you need it to get your confidence up.”

Sasori nodded. Orochimaru then looked at Itachi and Kisame as they played basketball. “Hmm? Whatcha lookin at Orochimaru?” Sasori said suddenly as he noticed Orochimaru turn away.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Orochimaru said turning to his friend, with his expression softened, “If it’s okay, I’m going to go and play basketball.”

“All right.”

Orochimaru walked off to the basketball court, but unknowingly to him, Sasori was closely following behind him.

Orochimaru arrived and had an evil look on his face. “Itachi, can you come over here for a second?” he asked.

Itachi made no move and he signaled Kisame to draw his sword. Itachi summoned up his Mangekyo Sharingan and used his Tsukyomi. Orochimaru and Sasori both looked into Itachi’s eyes and were dragged into his genjutsu. “What are you doing Itachi?” Sasori said looking at both him and Orochimaru.

“Orochimaru has deceived you Sasori, he deceived us all,” Itachi said drawing his katana.

“No! You’re lying! Orochimaru would never deceive me! He’s not even trying to do anything to you!” the six year old cried.

“Then why does he have his snake and katana behind his back?”

Sasori was dumbfounded and looked behind his friend’s back. “No! It’s not true! Impossible!” Sasori said staring at the drawn katana and Manda on his friend’s arm.

“Sasori, you were easy to deceive!” Orochimaru declared.

Sasori looked at his friend’s face, but where the kind soft expression he was used to was not there. “You are a gullible brat! I was able to manipulate you like clay. I pretended to be your friend to gain your trust and get close to Itachi, and then I was going to kidnap him and leave you alone,” Orochimaru said coldly.

Sasori was in disbelief. The only friend he knew was a mere illusion? No, it couldn’t be! Tears started to roll down Sasori’s face. Itachi couldn’t take looking at the sad Sasori, who was filled with so much pain. “Shut up!” Itachi shouted.

He released his Tsukyomi and charged at Orochimaru trying to stab him in the heart. Orochimaru dodged, yet sustained damage because Itachi chopped off one of his hands. Orochimaru screamed with pain and disappeared without any trace of him left.

~ ~ ~

Zetsu said no more and Deidara and Tobi also fell silent.

Sasori, who was sitting on the swing, had tears streaming down his face. “Orochimaru, you worthless, betraying, brat! I will kill you if I risk my life!”

Sasori sat back down in his seat and tried to wipe away the tears he hadn’t had in a year, but it seemed useless. “Deidara, you brat, you were the first true friend I have ever had. Although you believe art is a bang and I disagree, we can both agree on this fact:

True friendship does last forever, even when separated”